Controlling means for electric circuits.



J. K. LUX. CONTROLLING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

; 964,037, 1 Patented Jilly 1.2, 1910.

qvit'nemo I r 5 wue goz JULIUS 'K. LUX OFIJER S EYJCITY, NEW JERSEY.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

r Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 2, 1909. Serial No. 515,932.

Patented July 12 1910.

T all whom it may concerni 4:

Be'i known that I, JULIUS K.-.Lux, a citizen of; theUnited States,residing at Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain. new and I useful, Improvements in Controlling Means forElectric Circuits.

The. principles of my invention'are embodied in the form of a singlepole snap switch, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The subject matter of this application ap-- peared in my application.Serial No. 143139 Feb. 12, 1903 and Serial No. 152092 April 10,1903. 1

Figure l is a plan view of a switch embodying my improvements andshowing the hereinafter described impact absorbing addenda integral withthe fixed contact brushes. Fig. 2 is a view analogous to Fig. 1, butwith the addenda integral with the movable contact. Fig. 3 is a view ofthe de taining means which is fixed to the base by means of the portionsA". Fig. 4 is an under view of turning parts of the device enlarged andshowingthe spindle, the eccentric on the spindle, and the movabledetaining means or bolt which is operated by the said eccentric. Fig. 5is a side view of the movable contact partly-broken away at the.

top central portion, and showing the'spindle and actuating spring.partly withdrawn from the said central portion of the movable contact.Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the part shown in Fig. 3 and showing theratchet teeth of unequal lengths and unequally spaced. Fig. 7 is anunder View of the cooperative detaining means and the movable contact,

Referring to thedrawings inidetail A indicates the porcelain base.

unequally spaced ratchetrteeth of unequal lengths on the edge of thebearing piece A".

A indicates a bearing piece for the moving parts of the mechanism. Thesaid beari ing is .formed with a downwardly projecting hub at thecentra'lportion to afford a 10ngxbearing-for the hereinafter des ib dSpindle-G L 1,1 1 Ai'indicate fingers-bymeans of which the bearing pieceis secured to the base.

D" ,-D and D", D indicate detents formed The said detents cooperate withthe movin parts of the device so as to detain the sai moving partsduringthe initial movements of the hereln'after described energizing -means,and until predetermined amounts of energy are stored in the hereinafterdescribedyielding actuating means or spring. The said detents also actas stops to limit the successive movementsof the device.

' 1 indicates the movable contact which is revolubly mounted in positionto come into rubbing or sliding engagement with the hereinafterdescribed fixed contacts. The said movable contact has .a projection Don its under surface which projection normally engages the hereinafterdescribed cooperativedetaining means or bolt L. It secures the said boltas against rotation relatively to-the movable contact 1 and permits therequired reciproc l movement of the said bolt L. D v is anotherprojection similar to D and' it limits the movement of the bolt L whenthe hereinafter described handle E is being unscrewed from the, spindleG The said movable contact is formed with a perpendic- ,ular centralportion which central portion incloses the yielding actuating spring J,and-v in Which central portion one endof the sald spring is secured orengaged so as to operate the movable contact. The spindle Ur extendsthrough the central portion of the movable contact, and' at its upperpart is provided with a projection to suitably eng'age one end of thespring J. At its upper extremity the said spindle is provided withascrew thread 'to fasten the handle E. The lower part of the saidspindle is journaled in the bearing piece A 1 Fixed to the spindle G ata point between the movable contact and the bearing piece is theeccentric F one side of the said eccentric bears 011 the under surfaceof the mov-, able contact, and the other side of the eccen tric bears onthe bearing plece A". The eccentric F moves the bolt L into and out ofengagement with the detents D and -D. When the device is assembled, thehandle E, the spindle G and the eccentric F operate as one piece.

L indicates a cooperative detaining means or detent. It is formed as aneccentrically operated bolt and'the eccentric F causes it to reciprocateto andafrom the center of the device to respectively detain and releasethe part L bears against the under surface of the movable contact. Theupper surface of the' i movable contact. The major lower surface of;thepart L bears against the top of the bearing piece A L' indicates aprojection on the under surface of the part L; which projection extendsbelow the upper surface of the bearing iece A and comes into engagementwith the edge of the latter and with the faces of' the detents, so as toforma movable detainlng meansto cooperate with the fixed detaining meansor detents. In other words the projection L engages the sides and thebottoms of the ratchet teeth.

B, B-' dicate fixed contacts disposed at opposite sides of the axis andhaving binding screws B B by means of which the conductors B B aresecured in. position. When the parts are at rest in either open orclosed positions the actuating spring is under moderate stress and thepart L bears against the face and the bottom of the detent tooth.The'said engagement with. the face of the detent will hold the movablecontact as against rotation, and the said engagement of L with thebottom of the detent tooth re-- vents further relaxation of the said moerate spring stress.

To operate the device that end of the actuating spring J, which issecured to the spindle Gr is by means of the handle E turned in a'clock-wise direction, thereby placing the spring J under. increasedstress.

The eccentric moves the part L away from the spindle Gr and when apredetermined amount of energy is stored in the actuating spring thepart L is caused by the eccentric to pass beyond the extremity of thedetent, and the energy previously stored in the yielding actuating meansor spring carries the'movable contact and the part L to the nextposition. The eccentric not being turned with the same celerityas thepart L causes the latter part to move toward the axis of the. spindleand to enga e the next detent.

Successive movements 0 the device are ef-' fected in like manner,

In spring closing switches it has been usual to use no less spring powerin the opening than in the closing movement. In the clos- -ing movementof the device the fixed contacts act as a cushion or buffer by reasonofthe sliding or rubbing contact, but in the opening movement, the movablecontact opens with a hammer-like blow on the'stop' or other parts thatlimit the said movement, and that (increased) power which. is desirablein the closing movement, is objectionable .and detrimental in theopening movement of the device. When the opemn and closing powers arealike each of the sai two powers and their-mean or average are the same(given) quantity. My im roved arrangement subtracts from the saidquantity in the opening movement .and adds to the said given quantity inthe closing movement of the device; The said arrangement develops morepower in-the closing and less power 1n the opening of the device thanthe mean or average power of the combinedopening and closing movements.

I desire to call special attention to the ar-.

rangemen the proportionin and the functions ofth'e said detents. T e'arrangement. of the detents D, D relatively to thecontacts causes themovable contact to turn less than has been usual to efiect- (a complete)engagement of the movable with the fixed contacts.

' For convenience in description the closing movement will be dividedinto four periods. 1 maximum spring stress. 2 spring stress at beginningof rubbing connection (of c o- Operative contacts.) 3 spring stress atthe effected. And the spring stressvwhich subsists at the time of fullengagement of the contacts. subsides during the remainder of ,theclosing movement; andin addition it is partly absorbedby the extrarubbing connection which continues fromthe time of full engagement untilthe movement is stopped by the-cooperating detents D and L The saidextra rubbing connection and the continued unwinding of the springreduces the shock to the parts at the conclusion of the ,openingmovement. This arrangement taken {with a given maximum stresscontributes to a more "powerful closing action and less powerful impacton the detentsthanhas been usual. p

In the closing moveinentthe energizing means or handle turns fartherthan has'been usual before the movable contact is freed".

from the detent. By this means the actuating spring is broughtundergreater stress, so as to increase the closing power of a given actuatingsprin .without, increasing the opening power t ereof I In the openingmovement of the device the handle turns less than has been usual to freethe movable contact from thedetent. By this means an actuating spring.of. a v given strength is brought under less stress in the saidmovement, so as to decrease the'openmg power of the said spring withoutdecreasing the closing power t ereof. In other words, the shorter Tdetents decrease the opening owe'r. The longer detents increase theclosmg power, and theherein described-disposition of the contactingsurfaces relatively to the detents D", D further increases the circuitclosing power of any given spring stress. v

In my improved switch, the preferred form of detalning means for themovable contact are of the ratchet tooth form, and with the reciprocal,cooperative detaining means shown. I desire itunderstood, however, thatthe principles of my invention may be applied to all .intermissivelyrotary circuit controlling devices wherein yielding actuating-meansefiects a snap opening and closing of the circuit 'or device. By reasonof the increased closing power the cooperating contacts may be madestiffer and with greater contacting and carrying capacity.

The power ofthe yielding actuating means is so related to the impactabsorbin capacity of the fixed contacts that the det'ents should beprotected from excessive shocli in closing the device. In practicehowever, this adjustment is difiicult to maintain. I have thereforedevised other means for reducing the shock of impact on the detainingmeans in the closing movement.- Usually in the closed position ofswitches of this type, the fixed contacts have contacting surfaces equalin area to those of the cooperating movable contacts. When there hasbeen any overlapping it has been equal at each side of the smallermember.

tact as shown in Fig. 1, or to both of these cooperating contacts.

I will notseek to herein broadly claim a snap switch for closing acircuit with more yielding power than is used to open it -as thatsubject matter appears in Reissue Pat-.

ent #12,490 of May 29, 1906.

I claim- 1. In a snap switch, an electrical contact,

a cooperative movable contact, a torsional spring for yieldingly urgingthe said movable contact, means for energizing the said.

spring, means for detaining the said movable contact and means forreleasing the said movable contact when a prearranged power is stored inthe said tor'sionalsprin releasing means having movement, %or releasingthe said movable contact to close the circuit after more yielding poweris stored than is used to open the circuit.

2. In a rotary snap switch having coiiperative contact members, meansfor yieldingly actuating a rotary part, means for energizing the saidyielding means, means 00- tions, means said ' &

erative contact members, means for yieldingly actuating a rotary part,means for energizing the said yielding means, means coacting tosuccessively detain and release the said rotary part and for releasingthe said rotary part to close the circuit after more yielding power isstored than is used to open the circuit, said coacting means including acam for moving one of the said coacting parts with reference to theother one.

4. In a rotary snap switch having cooperative contact members, means foryieldingly actuating a rotary part, means for energizing the saidyielding means, means for detaining the said rotary part and means forreleasing the said rotary part when aprearranged power is stored in saidyielding means, said detaining andjreleasing means having movement withrelation to each other for releasing the said rotary part to close thecircuit after more yielding power is stored than is used to open thecircuit.

5. In a rotary'sn-ap switch having cooperative contact members, meansfor yieldingly actuating a rotarypart, means for energizing. the saidyielding means, means coacting to successively detain and release thesaid rotary art and to release the said rotary part at ter a greatermovement of the said energizing means to close the circuit than is usedto open it.

6. In a circuit controlling device, a suit-- ablesupport, an electricalcontact carried thereby, a rotary contact to cooperate with said firstcontact, yielding means for opening and closing said contacts with snapacor energizing said yielding means, means for detaining the action ofsaid yielding means during the energizing thereof, and meansfor'releasing said yielding means from said detaining means for morethan a quarter revolution in its closing movements, said contacts beinglocated to engage in closing before the completion of the quarterrevolution and to malntain engagement during the remainder of theclosing movement. a

In a circuit controlling device, a suit able support, an electricalcontact carried thereby, a rotary contact to coiiperate with said firstcontact, yielding means for opening and closing said contacts with snapaction, means for energizing said yielding means, means for detainingthe action of said yielding means during the energizing thereof, andmeans for releasing said yield- 8. In a circuit controlling device, asuitnately larger-and smaller for placing said able support, anelectrical contact carried yielding means under greater stress to close10 thereby, a rotary ccntact to coiiperate with the circuit than is usedto open the same. the said first contact, yielding means for Jersey CityN. J- Sept. 1-.09.

opening and closing said contacts with snap JULIUS K. I JUX- actions,means for energizing said yielding Witnesses: means, detents fordetaining the action of WM. G. MEYER,

said yielding means, said detents being alter- FRANK A. BYoNEs

